Process for treating fabrics and like materials to produce effects therein and products therefrom



Patented Mar. .1942

rnocnss FOR. TREATING memos AND V LIKE MATERIALS To PRODUCE EFFECTS nEnEIN AND PRODUCTS THEREFROM Georges Heberlein and Ernst Weiss, Wattwil,

Switzerland, assignors to Heberlein Patent Corporation, New York; N. Y.-, a corporation of New York No Drawing. Application January 26, 1939, Serial No. 252,938. ,In Germany February 15,

Claims.

This invention relatesto a process for prolucing pattern fabrics and products therefrom.

This application is a continuation-in-part of our copending application Serial No. 63,808, filed February 13, 1936, now Patent No. 2,171,513.

One of the objects of theinvention is to provide simple and novel processes for the production of pattern crepe-effects, pattern translucent or transparent effects or for the production of a combination of both effects.

Another object of the invention is to provide special starting fabrics containing different kinds of yarns which enable the production of the desired finish effects. According to the invention the starting fabric contains at least two different sets or kinds of yarns, one set being of such character as to be substantially insensitive to swelling agents or inactive to which the other of the two sets of yarns is sensitive or active, so as to give or enhance the desired optical contrast between the respective areas of the fabric consisting of the two sets of yarns. Another object of the invention is to provide products from such processes having novel and improved characteristics. Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out hereinafter.

The'invention comprises the novel products as well as the novel processes and steps of processes according to which such products are manufactured, the specific embodiments of which aredescribed hereinafter by way of examples and in accordance with which we now prefer to practice the invention.

DEEINITIoNs By opened-up yarns as herein mentioned, we mean vegetable yarns that-have been cleansed by boiling, scouring, bleaching or the like, to the extent that all or substantially all of the natural ncrustations are removed, so as to render said yarns sensitive to swelling agents.

By the term raw vegetable yarns" or similar expressions as herein used, we mean vegetable yarns having all or a suflicient amount of their nautral incrustations adhering to the fibers so as to render said fibers relatively insensitive to' crepe-like effects and translucent pattern effects and intermediate materials used... therein employing scoured yarns and yarns containing natural lncrustations.

1. TREATED YARNS CoMBIN n WITH RAwJNcRUsTEn YARNS (a) Producing crepe-like effects by shrinkage tory results occur because the mercerized yarns are effected also by a second treatment with mercerizing lye.

In accordance with one aspect of the present invention it has now been found that improved effects can be obtained by the use of starting fabrics containing opened-up yarns and raw yarns of vegetable fibers to which-the natural incrustations still adhere. Swelling agents having a shrinking effect known to the textile finisher are then caused to act on such fabric in accordance with the present invention so that the yarn previously treated contracts While the crude yarn remains substantially uncontracted. If a very pronounced crepe-like effect is to be obtained, it is preferable to use alkali lyes of mercerizing strength. Inthis way there is produced a crepe-like effect which may take the most varied forms depending on the distribution in the fabric of the raw effect yarns, that is, the yarns which according to this part of our invention are present initially in the fabric as raw yarn containingthe natural incrustations. For example, the raw yarn 'may be woven to form stripes, diamonds, etc. Also other fabrics can be finished in the same manner, for instance knitted goods, hosiery goods, printed goods, etc. which consist of previously treated and raw veg- .etable yarns containing incrustrations maybe employed.

After shrinking the J fabric can be further treated in any desired manner, namely by bleaching, dyeing, finishing or the like. In dyeing, tone in toneeifects can be obtained since the previously treated opened-up fiber has the property of consuming more dye than the raw are fiber. The expression tone in tone is intended to indicate the effect given by such a combination of dyed fibers possessing different shades of color.

If this process is combined with the usual reserve printing process, peculiar and manifold effects can be obtained. Eor example the: fabric I prepared in accordance with the invention from previously treated and raw incrusted cotton yarn is 'printed locally with a gum reserve (gummi reserve) and after drying, is mercerized in loose condition. The yam protected by the reserve remains unchanged so: that these parts; stand. out as pattern effects.

The -processis preferably employed with cotton containing fabrics, but the other natural vegetable fiber products can be used instead-of cotton. It is important, however, in: selecting for the eilect yarns such. natural vegetable fibrous material as contains the natural incrustations. The fabric may contain one kind of fiber alone or there. may be an admixture of fibers, so long as some of the. yarns are relatively insensitive to the swelling agent.

The following examples embody the present aspect of the invention as we now prefer to carry it out, but the invention is not to be restricted thereto except as indicated in the appended claims. I

Example 1.--Cotton muslin, the base of which consists of yarn previously scoured and 'into which eilect-yarns'of raw cotton containing incrustations are woven in stripes, is impregnated with caustic soda solution of 37 B. at C. for

3 seconds. The material is pressed and set aside at room temperature for three minutes in .unstretched condition. Thereupon it is washed hot at about 85 C., acidifiedand bleached carefully in the usual manner.- Finally it is dried in loose condition. The effect produced is shown by the wave-like projections of the effect-threads which impart to the fabric a crepe-like character.

Example 2.Muslin woven from'scoured cotton yarn and also containing as effect yarns individual raw cotton yarns containing incrustations woven into warp and filling in diamond shaped patterns is printed with a gum resist, for example gum arabic, locally. After the drying tension in accordance. with Example I, washed,

. whereby also the resist-is removed, and finished. The resist parts are set off as patterns from the checkered pattern background.

(b) froducing transparent and translucent eflects 1 yarns, that is opened" yarns as described above, and on the other hand yarns which are substantially insensitive to swelling agents, namely raw yarns to which natural incrustations still adhere. It has been found that the latter yarns are not influenced by agents for producing the stiifened more or less transparent effects.

As swelling agents for the production of these effects, there may be employed for example sulphurlc acid of over 505 B. in conjunction with mercerized yarn, that is, mercerized yarn may be woven with a raw natural incrusted yarn and this material treated to produce a transparent effect. in the mercerized yarn but substantially without producing such'efiect in the raw ins crusted yarn. Caustic soda solution at low temperatures, approximately -10 C., may also be employed for the transparentizing treatment in conjunction with sulphuric acidtreatment. Alternate treatments with caustic soda followed by sulphuric acid of 50.5 B. or over, followed by another treatment with caustic soda of. mercerizing strength in the well-known manner may also be employed for producing transparentizing effect on cotton yam which has been openedup," while the naturally incrusted yarn interwoven therewith remains substantially without change. Other reagents that may be used to give similar translucent effects, as is well-known, are the following agents used alone: sulphuric acid, phosphoric acid, mixed acid (nitric and sulphuric acid), caustic soda solution which has been cooled down to about 10 0., zinc chloride,

. calcium thiocyanate, ammoniacal copper oxide of the resist the fabric is mercerized without and others. These reagents are employed under conditions oftime, temperature and concentration which are well-known in the art, for example as shown in U. S. Patents 1,265,082 and 1,395,472.

According to.the present invention the fabrics which have been treated to produce the trans: lucent or transparent effects can, if desired, be further treated in order to render the original raw yarns containing the natural incrustations susceptible to furthertreatment. For instance they can be treated to render them more-absorp'tive to dyestuffs. Such raw naturally incrusted yams can also be opened" up by bleaching or other opening up process described above.- After the opening up of'these raw yarns, they then exist in a fabric which, at least in part, has been rendered more transparent or more translucent. This fabric can be treated with a shrinking agent such as caustic soda which will cause these non-transparent yarns to shrink so that a wavy effect will appear on the surface the fabrics by direct or resist" printing. Pattern in stripes or rectangular form, or 'if the process is employed on fabrics embroidered in figures forming denser parts of the fabric, the resulting productsobtained by' this old process have an ugly appearance. .The thick incorporated threads become hard and brittle and bring about an excessive stiffness of the entire surface of the fabric.

It has now been found in accordancejwith this aspect of the present invention that these difllculties may be avoided if fabrics are prepared which contain on theone hand previously treated effects produced in this manner can be further changed by treating them again subsequently with swelling agents having a shrinking action as for instance caustic soda solution by which crepe-'likepatterns are obtained.

In addition combinations of simultaneous or successive local action of transparentizing agents (or agents for producing translucency) and shrinking agents can be employed. In connection with this patterns can be printed alongside of each other or on top of each other.

The effects mentioned can -be further enriched I by yeing and color printing inan'y conceivable onds.

manner. Depending on the vdyestufi selected there can be obtained thereby multi-stage shadings of the different colors because of the different action of the dyestuffs on the fibers treated by the transparentizing, shrinking and other swelling agents.

The following are specific examples of embodiments of this aspect of the invention as we now prefer to practice it. The invention is not restricted thereto, however, except as indicated in the appended claims.

Example 3.-A cotton muslin fabric, the base of which consistsof scoured cotton yarns containing woven stripes of coarse raw cotton effect yarns containing natural incrustations is treated parent character, they are set ofi from the transparent base.

Example 4.A cotton muslin fabric, the base of which consists of scoured cotton yarns and also containing woven stripes of coarse raw cotton yarns, as effect yarns, containing natural incrustations is treated with a solution of 70 parts of zinc chloride in 30 parts of water at 100 C. during 20 seconds. The fabric is then washed with cold water and finished in a frame. A similar effect is obtained as described in Example 3.

Example 5.-A cotton muslin consisting .of scoured yarns and raw yarns as effect yarns forming a suitable design is printed with a resist of gum arabic and dried. Then it is treated with sulfuric acid of 54 B..during seconds at 8C. Then it is washed thoroughly, whereby also the resist is removed, and then bleached and finished. The resist parts stand out as patterns from the transparent background which is traced through by opaque designs due to the raw yarns.

Example 6.A starting fabric of cotton muslin as described in Example 3 is transparentizedin the same way as is pointed out in this example. The fabric is then kier-boiled and bleached. and

dried in a frame. Afterwards it is treated with caustic soda solution according to Example 1.

The raw threads opened up by kier-boiling now shrink whereupon the transparent parts which remain substantially unchanged by the alkali treatment, assume a wavelike appearance. 4 2. UNCOATED YAmvs COMBINED WITH Conan YABNB (a) Producing crepe-like eflects'by shrinkage In accordance with this aspect of the present invention it has been 'found that instead .of the vegetable yarns containing natural incrustations,

- there maybe substituted yarns which have alswelling agents. There are suitable for this purpose natural vegetable yarns and artificial yarns of various kinds as well as yarns of animal origin.

The yarns or rayon threads which have been.

subjected to any desired prior treatment may be made insensitive to theaction of the swelling agents in following manner:

1. Sizing with sizing agents for instance starch, gum, tragacanth gum and the like.

2. Impregnating with water-repellent agents, for instance a 6% emulsion of commercial paraflin or with an emulsion of higher fatty acid anhydrides and the like.

3. Impregnating with solutions of waxes and indicated above.

higher melting fats and hydrocarbons, for :instance 10% beeswax in benzine; 10% Japan wax in benzine; 8% synthetic wax in benzine; rubber in benzol/toluol, chlorinated rubber in toluol,

parafiin in benzine and the like.

4. Production of film-like or varnish-like coatings on the yarns by meansof varnishes and resin-like substances, for instance cellulose esters, for example 15% nitrocellulose inalcohol and ethel acetate, solution of dimethyl urea, acetyl cellulose in acetone, and'the like.

The vegetable or animal yarns or rayon yarns which have been made insensitive to swelling agents by any of the above-described methods are now woven with previously treated opened-up yarns, that isfwith yarns which are affected by swelling agents. Especially favorable results may be obtained with lustrous and dyed yarns which havebeen made insensitive in the manner The completed fabrics are shrunk by means of swelling agents known to the textile finisher including those mentioned above for crepe-like effects under 1(a). After the washing out of the swelling agent the insensitizing material, depending on its nature, may either be removed or may remain in the fabric. In the latter case} if their presence for some particular purpose should prove objectionable they may be removed by a special process. In most cases, however, such subsequent treatment is not necessary. The completed fabrics can be improved further by subsequent dyeing if desired. Such dyeing may be performed if desired before the insensitizing materials have been removed.

This process may be combined with the customary resist printing processes, briefiy referred to above, to obtain manifold effects.

The following ar examples of. embodiments of the invention just described. The invention. is not limited thereto except as indicated in the appended claims:

Example 7.--A calico fabric, the base of which consists of scoured yarns and also containing as effect yarns woven stripes of mercerized cotton yarns which have been impregnated with a solution made-up from 15,parts of nitrocellulose, 57 parts of ethyl acetate and 28 parts of ethyl alcoho] is treated with caustic soda solution according to Example 1. Similar effects to those of Example 1 are obtained but the luster of the mercerized effect threads imparts a good appearance to the finished fabric.

Example 8.-A cotton muslin which contains scoured cotton yarns and as effectyarns, cotton yarns which have been mercerized, dyed and impregnated with a solution of 10% beeswax in -benzine, is-treated according to Example 1. A'special effect'is obtained by means of the dyed effect yarns. I

Example 9.-A fabriccontaining cotton yarns impregnated with a lacquer'of 20% chlorinated rubber in toluene and grey cotton yarns is scoured and bleached. This treatment removes the natural incrustations from the grey cotton yarns. Thereafter it-is treated with a caustic soda solution of- 30 B. without tension at 15 C. during 3 minutes, delyed with hot water, scoured, washed out and finished as usual.

, (b) Producing transparent and translucent efiects Fabrics containing sensitive uncoated and insensitive coated yarns prepared as in 2(a) above may also be treated with agents to produce areas of transparency or translucency along with some stifiening of the fabric. The swelling agents emplayed for producing these effects may be the same as those given under the title 1(b) above.

The effects produced by the use of these insensitive yarns are similar to the effects described under 1(b) above. The; following are specific examples of this part of the invention, it being understood that the invention is not restricted thereto, except as claims.

Example 10. A cotton muslin the base of indicated in the appended which consists of scoured yarns and also con-.

taining effect yarns made insensitive to the action of parchmenti'zing agents by impregnation with an'emulsion of parafiin (for example Migaand bleached. This treatment removes the natural incrustations from the grey cotton yarns. Thereafter it is treated'with sulfuric acid of 54 B. at 1710. during 10 seconds, washed outand finished as usual.

In the above examples, it will be noted that various fabrics are treated, in some of which, as in Example 1, the statement is made that yarns are woven in stripes, and in Example 2, yarns are.

parchmentized yarns may not be swollen throughout their full length but may b partially shrunk or parchmentized in accordance with the printed pattern. i

The term coated fibres" as employed in the claims is intended to refer to natural fibers containing their natural incrustations, or to natural or artificial fibers which have been coated with one'or more of the coating substances herein described,'nam'ely, waxes, rubber, chlorinated rubber, hydrocarbons, high boiling fats, varnishes, resins, gums,cellu.lose ethers and esters, or their equivalents.

The expression cellulose fibers as herein employed is intended to refer to fibers of cotton or other natural cellulose containing fiber or to artificial silks of regenerated cellulose.

While the invention has been described in detail according to the preferred manner of carrying out the process, it will beobvious to those skilled in the art after understanding the invention, that changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention, and it is intended in the appended claims to cover: all such changes and modifications. 1

What is claimed as new. and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A process for producing pattern fabrics which comprises taking for subsequent treatment a fabric containing inactive and active fibers woven in a pattern, the inactive fibers being coated fibers which are substantially inactive to swelling agents, the active fibers being natural vegetable fiberswhich have been treated to remove surface incrustations and render the "fibers substantially active to swelling agents and treating s'uch fabric with a swell agent to form a visible pattern by altering the active fibers under the the fabrics are woven in a well-known manner so that, as is customary, the warp yarns are crossed by yams of filling, and vice versa.

The fabrics prepared from the yarn as hereinbefore described may be of any kind, as, for instance, woven, braided' or knitted fabrics, and may contain both kinds of yarns, namely, inactive and active yarns in varying proportions. Either the inactive or active yarns may predominate as desired to give diflerent effects.

The fabrics prepared in accordance with the invention include, it will be observed, both shrunk crepe effects and transparentized effects. The shrunk effects include yarns woven in a pattern and which are unswollen, crossed by yarns which are swollen throughout the full length of the yarns. Th'e transparentized efiect fabrics include yarns woven in a pattern of unshrunk, non-transparentized fibers crossed by parchmentized cotton yarns which are transparentized throughout the full length thereof. -Where both shrinking and parchmentizing processes have" 'been employed successively, fabrics may be produced including shrunk, non-transparentized cellulose fihers crossed by yarns of cellulose fibers whichswelling action, while the inactive fibers are substantially unaltered thereby.

2. A process for producing pattern fabrics which comprises weaving a fabric according to a pattern using at least two different kinds of yarn,

one kind being of inactive coated fibers substantially inactive to agents for opening up the fibers as well as to swelling agents, the other kind of .yarn being of natural vegetable fibers retaining them active to swelling agents and treating such fabric with a swelling agent to form a-visible pattern by altering the active fibers under the swelling action while the inactive fibers are substanare transparentized throughout the full length of v ar applied locally by printing, then the shrunk or tially unaltered by the agents.

3. A process for producing pattern fabrics which comprises taking for subsequent treatment opening up and swelling a fabric containing inactive fibers and active 11- I bers woven in a pattern, the'inactive fibers being substantially inactive to swelling agents and com-. posed of natural vegetable fibers containing their incrustations, the active fibers being natural vegetable fibers which have been treated to remove certain incrustations and render the fibers substantially active to swelling agents, and treating such fabric with caustic soda for shrinking the active fibers to produce a creping effect, the in"- active fibers being substantially unaffected by the agent used.

4. A process for producing pattern fabrics which comprises taking for subsequent treatment a fabric containing inactiv coated fibers and active fibers woven in a pattern, the inactive fibers being substantially inactive to swelling agents, the

active fibers beingnatural vegetable fibers which have been treated to remove surface incrustations and render the fibers substantially active to swelling agents, and treating such fabric with sulphuric acid for transparentizing the active fibers, the inactive fibers being substantially unaffected by the agent used.

5. A process according to claim 1 in which after subjecting the fabric to a swelling agent to obtain the desired characteristic effect, the fabric is dyed with'a dye which affects the active and inactive fibers difierently, thus producing an opti- .cal contrast in the dyed fabric due to the different effects of the dye on the active and inactive fibers. 6. A process according to claim 1 in which prior to the application of the swelling agent one or more resist patterns are printed on the fabric.

7. A process for producing pattern effects which comprises taking a fabric of cotton yarn having its natural incrustations and effect yarns of rubber coated yarn, which is inactive to swelling agents, scouring and bleaching the fabric to remove said incrustations' and opening up the cotton fibers to render them active and then treating the fabric with a swelling agent to produce shrinkage of the opened-up fibers, the effect yams being substantially 'unafiected by the swelling agent. I

8. A process for producing pattern effects which comprises taking a fabric of cotton yarn having its natural incrustations and efiect yarns of rubber coated yarn, which is inactive to parchmentizing agents, scouring and bleaching the fabric to remove said incrustations and opening up the cotton fibers to render them active and then treating the fabric with a parchmentizing agent to produce transparentization of the opened-up fibers, the effect yarns being substantially unaffected by the parchmentizing agent.

9. A process for producing pattern fabrics which comprises taking for subsequent treatment a fabric containing inactive and active fibers woven in a pattern, the inactive fibers being coated fibers which are substantially inactive to swelling agents and the active fibers being natural vegetable fibers which are affected by swelling agents, treating said fabric with a swelling, parchmentizing agent to parchmentize the active fibers, removing the coating from the coated fibers and then treating the fabric with a swelling,

shrinking agent to effect shrinking of the now uncoated non-parchmentized fibers.

10. A patterned material formed fromfabric containing inactive and active'fibers woven in a pattern, the-inactive fibers being coated fibers substantially inactive to swelling agents, the active fibers being naturalvegetable fibers treated to remov surface incrustations and to render the fibers substantially active to swelling agents, the fabric being treated with a swelling agent to form a "visible pattern by altering the active fibers through swelling while the inactive fibers are substantially unaltered thereby. 1 GEORGES HEBERLEIN! ERNST WEISS.

I CERTIFICATE of CORRECTION. Y Pateht" n 2,275,3 1. narch 1o, '19lp2.

- GEORGES HEBERIEIN, T AL.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification 'qof the abovenmnbred patent I:eq u1ring corz 'ectioh afollows: Page 1, first column, line 18, strike out "or' inacfive am inrt the sam afte a r "insensitive'i J ine i7; 11 e 15; for "riautral" mag -natural"; line 2, for

"as not" read -are notpage 5, first. column, iine 52, for; "this" read --sa1;:1-'-; and's ec ond column, line 2, after the word "in" insert -the-', page 1.1, second column, Iine 58, c1aim 1., for "s-vil l" read -swe1li1'1g-';' and that; the. said etters-patent sho u 'dbe read With'th'is-cqrrection m in tha t the sgaune may conform t o the reinrd'of thefiase 15. the Patent Office.

v Signedgml sealed this 5th day of May, D. 191 2.

v. v 5 j -fi r r y va n Afsda-l e, 4 Actirig commissioh'e nof Patenfis. 

